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Theory and practice in L2 Assessment

Self-Evaluation
Topic: What do I know about L2 assessment?
Name:……………………………………………………………...
What is Assessment?

Who do we assess?

Why do we assess?

How do we assess?

What do we assess?

When do we assess?

Who assesses?


What is Assessment?

Definition 1
“Assessment involves making considered judgments about learners’ performance. It is a dynamic process and is concerned with determining how satisfactorily learners have achieved the objectives of a particular course or unit of work. Assessment has the educational function of describing the performance and promoting the development of the learner, while, at the same time, meeting the needs of the school, the educational system and society at large (parents, employers, and the wider community) to know the outcomes of a particular learning program.

Assessment should not just be ‘added-on’ at the end of a learning sequence. It should not be viewed as something external to the learning process, but as an integral part of the learner-centred curriculum”

Australian Language Levels Guidelines, Book 3, p.44
Definition 2

Assessment is a process concerned with gathering information about students’ competencies. Its focus is not only on what has been achieved by students, but also on how they have gone about their learning.


Reporting is a process of communicating assessment information so as to assist student learning.

There are various types of assessment:
1. Criterion-referenced Assessment
2. Norm-reference Assessment
3. Ipsative-referenced Assessment
4. Standards-referenced Assessment
5. Curriculum referenced Assessment
6. Peer-referenced Assessment
7. Competence-referenced Assessment”

The LOTE Framework P-10, pages 76-79.

Mistakes and feedback
Chapter 7

Leading questions


A. Student make mistakes
1. What does feedback encompass?
2. The way we assess and correct students depends on what?
3. Explain the 3 broad categories of mistakes
4. Explain the 2 distinct causes of student errors

B. Assessing student performance
1. Explain explicit and implicit assessment
2. Give 2 aims of teacher assessment
3. Describe 3 ways in which studetn work can be assessed

C. Feedback during oral work
Feedback during Accuracy work
Feedback during Fluency work

D. Feedback on written work
1. Techniques
2. Why give feedback

Testing Students


Chapter 23